3 smart ways to leave work at work!

“Australians are busy at work. We report very high levels of intensive working compared to other industrial countries,” writes Senior Research Fellow in Wellbeing and Work at the University of South Australia, Natalie Skinner, for The Conversation.

Nations such as the USA and the UK are no better off. Psychologist Mark Croply at Surrey University in England conducted a study of after-work stress rates among workers. Croply found that between 66 and 75 of respondents found it “difficult to unwind after work”, reports Dr Adrian Furnham in Psychology Today.

The American Psychological Association similarly found via its 2012 Stress in America Survey that 65 per cent of surveyed people cited ‘work’ as a top cause of stress.

Sure, stressing about work may be ‘normal’ – and by that we mean ‘common’ – but in the long term, developing a capacity to detach from your day job is crucial for sustaining wellbeing.

So how to flick the switch from ‘on’ to ‘off’ after work?

“Small steps are the answer,” says Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential, in Business and in Life and wellbeing blog Zen Habits.

“You don’t need to be perfect at shutting off work or being present or pouring yourself into something after work. You just need to start doing it, and in doing so, you’ve already started down the road to balance.”

Want to stress less? Try these 3 strategies to regain your balance.

1.Know your stressors

So you’re aware that work is stressing you out, but can you pin point the exact elements of working life that trigger the most stress?

The American Psychological Association (APA) lists top stressors as follows: low salaries, excessive workloads, work that isn’t engaging or challenging, lack of social support and conflicting demands, among others.

TAKE ACTION: Be more mindful

The APA suggests keeping a journal for a week or two to note down which situations stress you out and how you respond to each of these.

“Record your thoughts, feelings and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting and how you reacted,” the APA advises.

“Did you raise your voice? Get a snack from the vending machine? Go for a walk? Taking notes can help you find patterns.”

2.Learn not to define yourself by your work

You may be a wonderful and dedicated fitness instructor, cop, writer, marketing executive or nurse, but no doubt you’re also someone’s partner, mother, uncle, son or mate. You might also be a runner, a guitar player a footy club team member!

We can all do things besides our work and be fulfilled, writes Leo Babauta in Zen Habits. “Once you discover this you’ll free yourself to find a life outside of work.

3.Periods of unavailability

Natalie Skinner from the University of South Australia writes that a study in the journal PLOS ONE recommended that one strategy for preventing work from spilling over into leisure time is to establish periods of unavailability.

This means set times of the day whereby you don’t respond to correspondence or calls, and work on a task uninterrupted.

Skinner suggests that if you work in an office, your organisation might be open to establishing periods of uninterrupted time for employees. Try suggesting this to your boss!

I know from my own experience as a freelance writer that I work best when I turn my email off from 9am-1pm each day. I then respond to emails and voicemail messages after lunch.

It's hard to do, and I don’t always pull it off, but the results are great!

Do this to switch-off

• Schedule time to exercise right after work, and make this a priority
• Ensure you’re getting a good night’s sleep and not tuning into a screen of any kind (phone, lap top, telly) at least one hour before bed
• Set a fixed time of the day in which you leave work. It could be 4pm, 5pm or 6:30pm – just make sure this daily deadline is set in stone